What is Physical Therapy?

Patients and physicians are turning to physical therapy for conservative management of a wide variety of conditions. In many cases, patients are being sent to physical therapy instead of surgery.

Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants help people with orthopedic conditions such as low back pain or osteoporosis; joint and soft tissue injuries such as fractures and dislocations; neurologic conditions such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, or Parkinson's disease; connective tissue injuries such as burns or wounds; cardiopulmonary and circulatory conditions such as congestive heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; and workplace injuries including repetitive stress disorders and sports injuries.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Odessa College Physical Therapist Assistant Program is to provide our students with the knowledge and skills necessary to become gainfully employed as physical therapist assistants, and to become responsible, productive members of the health care community and society at large.

Philosophy

The Physical Therapist Assistant Program is committed to the highest standards of ethics and professionalism. We exist to provide the finest education possible to our students but as part of our commitment to our profession, we also maintain the patient as our primary focus. To this end, we are committed to prepare the students to become as proficient in respecting and preserving each patient's personal dignity as in providing the technical skills of physical therapy.

Goals

In accordance with its mission and philosophy, the Physical Therapist Assistant Program strives to achieve the following goals:

to provide a curriculum that includes effective theoretical, didactic, laboratory and clinical instruction;

to ensure that program content is consistent with prevailing standards in the profession of physical therapy;

to graduate physical therapist assistants who competently, safely, effectively, and efficiently function within the scope of practice as defined by the profession and licensure requirements;

to graduate physical therapist assistants who are sensitive and responsive to the unique needs of each individual patient.

Accreditation Statement

The Physical Therapist Assistant Program at Odessa College is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314; telephone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: http://www.capteonline.org.